City Council - Regular Meeting

14th council meeting to order and ask the clerk to call the roll.

Council President Middlebrooks.

Here.

Council Pro Tem Driver. Here. Council Member Schultz.

Here.

Council Member Smith.

Present.

Council Member Lovell. Present. Council Member Murphy.

Present.

Council Member McClinton.

Here. With seven members present, we have quorum. If everyone will stand for the invocation led by the city clerk, followed by the pledge led by Councilor Schultz.

Dear Heavenly Father, may the matters before the Council move our city forward, and thank you for the ability to be involved in useful and meaningful work for our city. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, amen. Amen.

Attention, salute, pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

All right, with Mayor Durzis out of town, I have the pleasure of introducing the proclamations tonight. First up, we have domestic violence awareness. We have some representatives. Come on down. Mr. Waldron, if you'll read that proclamation, please.

Whereas domestic violence is a pervasive public health and safety issue that affects individuals in every community regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status, and whereas one in four women And one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to national statistics. And whereas domestic violence can have lasting emotional, psychological, and physical effects on survivors and their families, and it often goes unreported due to fear, stigma, and systemic barriers. And whereas children who witness domestic violence are at greater risk of experiencing emotional trauma, developmental challenges and continuing the cycle of violence in their own lives. And whereas communities must come together to support survivors, hold offenders accountable, and work collaboratively to prevent domestic violence through education, outreach, and advocacy. And whereas during the month of October, individuals and organizations across the nation will join together to raise awareness, promote prevention and support efforts to end domestic violence, and whereas the courage and resilience of survivors, advocates, service providers, and all those working to end abuse must be recognized and honored. Now, therefore, we, Nicholas C. Derzis, Mayor, and Casey Middlebrooks, City Council President, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Hoover, Alabama, to hereby proclaim October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and urge all citizens to take a stand against domestic violence by supporting survivors, speaking out against abuse, and fostering a community where all individuals can live free from fear and violence. Presented this 14th day of September, the year of our Lord, 2026.

Mr. President, do you want me to continue with the next proclamation? All right. So the next proclamation we have this evening is for the Nephrology Nurses Week. Cindy Richards, if you would come down. And others. I see we've got several there. Mr. City Attorney.

Whereas nearly 30 million Americans suffer from and are diagnosed with kidney disease, including children, adults, and elderly individuals, and whereas the depth and breadth of the nephrology nursing profession meets the different and emerging kidney disease and other healthcare needs of the population of Hoover, Alabama, and whereas the American Nephrology Nurses Association is working to advance quality care to Americans with kidney disease, before they suffer complete organ failure, increase awareness in local communities, positively influence patient outcomes, and keep nephrology nurses abreast of the latest treatments and kidney-related research, and whereas nephrology nurses function as educators, direct caregivers, and coordinators to help patients manage their lives while effectively dealing with their health issues, and whereas the number of new patients diagnosed with kidney disease has doubled In each of the last two decades, the demand for nephrology nurses will persist to expand as this trend is expected to continue, and whereas more qualified nephrology nurses will be needed in the future to meet the increasingly complex needs of patients who are experiencing or at risk for kidney disease, and whereas along with the American Nephrology Nurses Association, the Hazel Taylor Chapter 1, Number 239 has declared the week of September 13 through 19, 2026, as Nephrology Nurses Week to celebrate and honor the unselfish work nephrology nurses perform each day to maintain the health of thousands of individuals with kidney disease. And now, therefore, we, Nicholas C. Durst, this mayor, and Casey Middlebrook, City Council President, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Hoover, Alabama, do hereby proclaim the week of September 13th through 19th, 2026, as Nephrology Nurses Week, and ask that all residents of Hoover, Alabama, join us in honoring Casey. the nephrology nurses who care for patients with kidney disease, and be it further proclaimed that the residents of Hoover, Alabama celebrate nephrology nursing efforts to advance patient care and reduce the incidence of kidney disease and show our appreciation for Hoover, Alabama nephrology nurses, not just during this week, but at every opportunity throughout the year. Presented this 14th day of September in the year of our Lord, 2026.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Mr. and Madam President, I would like to say, based on this proclamation, we have somebody that is very near and dear to the heart of this city and the citizens of Hoover. Mr. Alan Pate has been going through some very hard kidney failure issues of late, and he's had to start dialysis, and it's not setting well with his body responses, and if y'all would just keep him in your prayers, it would be greatly appreciated.

We certainly will, thank you, Councilor Smith. So next we have GYN Cancer Awareness Month, Violet Chasvich and Betsy Fettner, if you'll please come down to the front. Mr. City Attorney.

Whereas gynecologic cancers are among the leading cancer killers of women in the United States and more than 125,000 women will be diagnosed and more than 33,000 women will die from these diseases this year and the absence they leave in our hearts will be deeply felt forever. And whereas the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation and their A State of Teal initiative brings awareness of all GYN cancers to the people throughout the state of Alabama, whereas the good health and well-being of women in our state and the city of Hoover enhanced by increased awareness of GYN cancers and their symptoms and treatments. And whereas it is also crucial that all women in our state and the city of Hoover take an active role in learning the symptoms and risk factors associated with GYN cancers. Developing healthy habits and undergoing regular medical examinations so that any occurrence of these diseases may be detected in their early and treatable stages. And whereas we reflect upon the memory of those lost to these diseases, the bravery of those currently battling these diagnoses, and the need for increased awareness, screening, and research so that the women of our state might be spared from them in the future, and encourage all citizens to work together to raise awareness of GYN cancers. Now, therefore, we, Nicholas C. Dursis, Mayor, and Casey Middlebrook, City Council President, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Hoover, Alabama, to hereby proclaim September 2026 as Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month throughout the city and encourage all residents of Hoover to work together to raise awareness of GYN cancers and do commend this observance to all of our citizens. Presented this the 14th day of September in the year of our Lord, 2026.

Good evening. Thank you for this proclamation and the awareness that it will bring. I have battled ovarian cancer four times over the past 10 years, and by the grace of God, I'm still here. Like most cancers, when they're caught early, it's treatable. But that's difficult when we don't have a diagnostic test. Out of the five GYN cancers, only one has a routine screening test, and that is cervical cancer, which has a pap smear. In the near future, I believe that raising awareness, along with efforts from the Laurel Crowder Brown Foundation and like-minded organizations, will bring about a reliable diagnostic test for ovarian and other GYN cancers, new treatment options, and hopefully a cure. Thank you.

And I just wanted to let you all know that the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation does raise money to fund research for early detection tests. We provide emotional and financial support for women who are going through GYN cancer treatment. And we've raised awareness, not only in the month of September, but all year long. And I wanted to let you know that while we provide these services all over the state of Alabama, we are located right here in the city of Hoover. And one of our biggest events happens in Hoover, and it will be happening on Saturday out at the Preserve. It's the Head Over Teal Race, which you can still sign up for if you would like to. And I think we had almost 900 people run or walk or bring their dog or stroll their babies or whatever. And after the race, it turns into kind of a fun little day out on the green in front of the town hall out at the Preserve. We would love for you all to be there and come help us celebrate our survivors. Thank you so much, ladies.

And if anyone in the audience would like an easy way to register, we do have a QR code up here that you are welcome to scan if you'd like to get registered for the walk or run this weekend in the preserve. Next, I believe we have a presentation from our state representative, Mike Shaw. Mike, if you would come on down. And I believe, Ms. Colbaugh, this is related to Parks and Rec, so if you would like to join us, that would be great.

Well, I thank you. Mr. President, Council, a little scrambled up today. I had to look around. But it's always great to be back. As many people know, I served on this great body for six years and still think of it fondly and served with some of y'all and think of that fondly. We do have these legislative funds that we allocate every year. These are taxpayer funds that we can allocate to things in our districts, preferably in our districts, so that taxpayer money can go directly into important things. Hoover has been a great... partner in that regard over the years. We've partnered on many, many projects. I really like the Parks and Rec projects, especially the outdoor projects, just because the money goes a long way and everybody can enjoy them. So I really appreciate the partnership in that regard. So we have $4,000. I'm talking about this cold ball. It was some projects about the... Aldridge Gardens in the entryway. I know there's been improvements over the last few years, so I said we can allocate a little bit to that. I'm sure it'll cover some of it, maybe not all of it, but we can get there. Maybe next year we can help get across the finish line. So anyway, $4,000. Thank you all for your partnership. Happy to support what Hoover does, and you all are great partners in that regard.

Thank you so much for what you do to advocate for us.

Can we get a picture?

Please.

Appreciate it, Mike. Thank you, Mike.

All right, this feels much more comfortable up here.

Next we have Dr. Lopez with a financial report followed by a budget presentation.

Good evening.

Good evening.

I think Ms. Dickerson is going to help me get something on the screen. All right. So earlier this month, you may have had a chance to, this was a part of a report that I had sent you all. And it basically is our interim financial statement for through June of 2026. So basically period nine of 12, as a reminder, our fiscal year starts in October, which is why June would be period nine. That basically represents 75% of our, fiscal year. This is focusing on the general fund. So just for a small update, which seems appropriate before we talk about the fiscal 27 projection. As you can see here on this, the blue is the fiscal 25 actual through June compared with the fiscal 26 unaudited through June. The column next to that shows you the dollar change, and then the percent change is the last column. Just looking at the total revenues there, you'll see that we are overall in the general fund revenues very level. Overall, it's just 23 basis points ahead of that same point in fiscal 25, $337,000. The good news, if you're looking at this in terms of taxes, we were $2.3 million ahead. or 2% better. What's happened is a large part of the reason it's level A million dollars is represented due to investment income from what we have to do, mark to market accounting. And that mark to market accounting is just something that's required by us to do. But what it makes you assume is if you sold all your investments today, would you have to record those losses or those gains? Well, if we would have no plans of selling investments, but we still have to record those losses. And so that makes up, why you see a decrease there. We may make some of that up by the end of the year, it just depends on what the markets do. But just please know that we have no intention of selling investments for a loss. In terms of expenditures, actually through June, it's a little bit better. We've spent $2 million less compared to fiscal 25. One thing to keep in mind here is that, Timing could affect this, so where maybe something might have been paid in June last year, it might get paid in July this year, so those kind of things can affect this. We used to have a software system that allowed you to allocate budgets, and that was much more helpful in an interim financial statement. This current software does not really let us do that. But the fact that we are 75% through the year, that is a good sign that our expenditures are at a better level through this time period. And then so if you come down to the bottom of this page, you'll see overall the net change in fund balance with all of the activity including other financing sources and uses and so forth, we are still about 2.2 million ahead from where we were, most of that's due to those expenditures being lower than where we were in fiscal 25. So, like I said, it's concerning that revenues are flat, but at the same time, the fact that we have some expenditures to offset some of that is definitely better news than it could be.

Thank you, Dr. Lopez. Any comments or questions from the council?

Mr. President, Dr. Lopez, is the net change due to the $2 million saving or the $2 million in increased revenue? Did I see $2 million increased revenue at the top?

That's just for taxes, but if you look at the other revenues, it's flat. So you don't have the $2 million increase. So mainly it's attributed to the reduction in expenditures through nine months of the year.

It's my understanding from what I've been reading and hearing that the Fed anticipates raising the rate 0.25 basis points next month, what would that do to our investments? Would that increase our income or would that reduce our income?

Well, if you assume that we keep our investments to the end, it won't have any impact other than if we're buying, purchasing new investments, that's a good thing, right? We would earn 25 basis points more in terms of, so keep that in mind. And then we're regularly, as you're on our investment committee, you see that investing those funds as we can. In terms of the mark to market, it's basically going to depend on basically the longevity of those investments and how that impact would happen. But we basically, we would get a, probably this fiscal year, it wouldn't have much impact because we're almost over by now.

Well, I figured that, but I figured it would be good for the public to hear it as well.

Sure.

Any other comments or questions? All right. Let's get on to the main attraction.

All right, so... Tonight we're going to present the fiscal 27 mayor's proposed budget. That would be that other, yes, thank you. If you'll just go to page one, I mean the next page, not page one, not the cover.

Yeah.

And so first thing I want to do is just say that, you know, the budget process or this whole budget process, we started this back in May and it requires a ton of, uh, people working on this and, uh, Obviously the mayor and Mr. Munger are involved, but all the department heads, they've had to meet multiple times to go through their requests. But I also want to give a shout out to three staff people. We actually pulled in a couple of staff people, Monica Townsend, but she just got married. I don't know her new name. And then Rhonda Gaiman helped us compile some of this, but especially Claire Hamilton, because without her, this budget would not work. get done. So I just want to make sure to give them credit for all the work in doing that and everybody that's helped with this process. So what we have up here is basically the mayor's transmittal letter that hits kind of the high points of this budget. The first item being that the mayor is recommending a 2% COLA cost of living allowance for employees. Two items are basically helping to fund that, which are gonna be ongoing items that are savings to afford that going forward. One is, as you are aware, we removed the health clinic effective as of the end of August, so 2026. Due to the fact that we were notified those costs were gonna go up over 50% in one year, And so we had already budgeted in fiscal 26 about 763,000, so they were gonna go up to over a million dollars. That, in addition to the fact that you guys approved recently a change in how we pay for Blue Cross Blue Shield administrative fees, and previously we did it based on a percentage of claims, and we switched that to a cost per contract model, and that in itself it will save us probably about $420,000 or more a year. So those two things together end up being about $1.1, $1.2 million of savings to help offset the cost for the 2% COLA. Secondly, we had quite a number of position change requests, including new positions, upgrades, and so forth. And so after looking at all those, it was determined that it's been a number of years since we have done a class and compensation study for the city. and that it was probably time to do that, not only to look at where people are graded and make sure we have internal and external equity with our positions, but also in terms of what makes sense as far as staffing-wise when comparing to other cities So we hope to accomplish both of those and possibly even a benefit analysis comparison with other cities with that project. That study is in the proposed budget at $175,000. And so therefore you will not see in the proposed budget any personnel requests as far as approving the new positions, upgrades and so forth, because we felt it was best to wait for this study to tell us how we should proceed with that. Obviously, personnel is the largest item that we have, so we want to be careful as those expenditures grow, and we'll look at some of that in a few minutes. The other good news for employees, our health insurance rates are remaining the same as they were in fiscal 2026, so there will be no increase as far as that goes. In terms of operating, keep in mind, If something's over $20,000, we capitalize it. But if it's less than that, it's considered operational. We have about an overall net $4.2 or $3 million of increase in the operating in the mayor's proposed budget. $1.8 million of that is related to the garbage increase. In addition, another million is related to garbage. The police department, they have an axon contract that basically covers their body-worn cameras and storage capacity that's necessary to make those work effectively, and also a drone program. And so that's going to be, I think it's a five-year contract, but it's a net increase of almost a million dollars in the operating budget that we felt was necessary. Some of the other big increases related to that operational increase, property and casualty funding that program about a half a million dollars, and then also software was about $300,000. In terms of major capital, which is going to be that $50,000 and above, or it also includes kind of major vehicles and equipment and so forth, the mayor is recommending $10,415,000. $3,875,000 of this is related to fleet and equipment, and so that is gonna be itemized in some information that you'll have too, so you'll see every one of those projects. If we could go to the next page, So this page here basically, what I tried to do is compare the fiscal 26 original budget with the fiscal 27 mayor's proposed budget. And then the last column tells you if it's a positive, it's favorable, if it's a negative, it's unfavorable, meaning that it was a higher cost or so forth. And you'll see kind of the differences. We're only projecting a $700,000 increase in terms of the revenue. So our revenue projection itself is $183 million. Personnel is overall increasing about 1.1 million. One of the things that we've found is, I think I've mentioned this before, we've gotten away from being able to budget by position, so it has to be kind of an estimate. We are in the process of trying to finalize getting software to work to do that, but we found that last year's projection had a little bit of cushion in it, so that's why this number didn't have to be as high for the fiscal 27 budget. The operating, we already talked about that, the $4.3 million increase. The minor capital is about a half a million dollar increase. That's gonna be those items that are less than the 50,000, but above the 20. Our debt service decreased. You guys may remember there were, I think, three loans that had been done a few years ago. We paid those off early in fiscal 26 in order to free up some budget capacity for fiscal 27. So that is kind of the net of that. In addition, that also includes a half a million dollars a year for the fire department to be able to get some of their, they talked about it in their budget hearings, some of their equipment, and that's considered debt because it's over five years. But even taking that in account, it still was a $2.6 million decrease in debt service. And so if we'll go on down to the kind of the bottom line there, then Basically, it worked out where this is gonna be a change in fund balances about is the same as what we projected for fiscal 26 original budget. But you can see those items. And then if you go to the next page, this is a graph that just kind of shows what we just talked about in terms of the expenditure lines and also I added the revenue comparison as the last item there. So you can see kind of how that compares graphically to fiscal 26. uh one thing i thought that was um would be interesting for everybody to see if we go to the next page the next graph this one i thought you know let's look at where we were 10 years ago and if you look at the fiscal 16 uh Actual and you compare it to the fiscal 27 mayor's proposed budget and don't take into account any transfers or anything Let's look at these categories and see how they compare and you can see here Personnel, I mean it's almost this is a focus on the general fund. It's almost doubling Operating is doubling Contribution to the schools over doubled. Minor capital almost doubled. Debt service went up about a third or more. The economic development incentives doubled. And so overall, you have general fund expenditures almost doubling in those years. But then when you look at the last one, the revenue, we didn't double the revenue. And hence, why are we getting these smaller and smaller margins? And while everything else is going up, our revenues are not keeping up with those expenditures. So I thought this chart would do a good job maybe of illustrating that. Next and last slide. And so similar to... Last year, obviously, our major capital items I mentioned, you can see in yellow, the mayor's proposed budget has about $10.4 million that he's proposing. If you'll see here, in the fiscal 27 at the top, there were actually requests of $28.6 million. So we're funding only $10.4 million of that, leaving about $18 million left. But then departments submitted their five-year request on what they foresaw as needed major capital items with a total of $124 million, almost $125 million over five years. And this is only focusing on the capital projects fund. That if you do the $10 million, you still have another $114 million of needs that are have been requested out there. And so, and obviously that's going to be not all inclusive. We still not sure what's going to happen with the iPhone 59 interchange when that's bid. There have been various, as we talked about the budget hearings, space needs and so forth. And so anyway, we were able to at least propose the 10.4 million in this budget. And I'm happy to answer any questions. I will say that our goal is, I know, as needed, to have meetings with you all to go through any details and so forth. We can start getting those scheduled. If there's a good thing about the personnel not being in this proposed budget, it does simplify the budget quite a bit, because it's focusing on these capital project items and then the operating increases.

We look forward to going through these item by item once we get that email to us. We'll need six email copies and one old school binder copy, please. Any comments or questions from the council? Thank you, sir.

Who needs the old school one?

Yeah, there's always one. The binder copy, is it going to be like the old days where it was about this thick, or is it only going to be about that thick?

I guess it depends if we double-side it. We can make it as thick as you want.

I just remember how it had all the expenditures by department. and by items, and within the different departments, or within the different factions within each department, like fire department has fire marshal, it has the firefighting suppression sections and things like that. Police has patrol and investigations, things like that. Are we going to see it broken down like that, or do they no longer do that?

Well, so we can certainly print you what's going to be kind of, I think you're referring to the detail accounts. We can print that to you. I'll be honest with you, because we got so late with the audit, we're still putting that into the system. And I talked to Claire and she feels confident she'll have that available Wednesday, which I think is what you're referring. We will also send you a PDF of every departmental request and And then there's going to be a summary that I'll send you that has all the detail of the capital projects. I'll send that tonight. And also all the detail of the additional operating requests, along with which ones the mayor was proposing. So you'll get all of that tonight. One thing I can say about this software, it is not the greatest budgeting software. And so in the past, we could easily compare that detail that you're talking about, budget, budget, actual, actual. It will not allow you to do that, which is, Crazy. So, unfortunately, it won't be exactly like what you're referring, but we'll do the best we can.

Did the city buy a pig and a poke with that program? Pardon me? Did the city buy a pig and a poke with that program? I don't know, but we're working on that. What we had was not as good as what we were walking away from, sounds like.

I think I might agree with you on that.

Okay. Mr. Cope, I'm going to need some help getting my 365 working again. I got a feeling there's going to be a lot of double-knot secret emails coming my way. I'll get with you after the meeting. Thank you, sir.

We pick on Councilor Smith, but his binder will have color-coded sticky notes all throughout. He goes line by line, and I can tell you, anybody that is interested in how the budget process works, Councilor Smith can give you a master class on how to look at a budget and question it and make sure that it's a proper budget. We kid, but it's through love.

Mr. President, just briefly, while we're making copies for Councilor Smith, some others of us might like to have a paper copy when it comes to a large volume of information. So if you don't mind running another copy, there might be several up here who would want to go ahead and have one of those as well.

All right. When I email you tonight, I'll ask anybody to let me know.

Any other?

Yes, Councillor. Dr. Lopez, so is the COLA the sole increase, or is that excluded on top of a merit raise pool?

Staff would still get their merit raises if they're not topped out and if they get a successful performance evaluation.

And on this study that we're going to do to make sure we're in line with other cities and so forth, what's your timeline, how long that will take?

I feel like it's within the fiscal year, but... I definitely think that that was the goal of that was to be done in fiscal 27 so that we could be ready either through an amendment or by the next budget.

And I have to ask because my wife texted me before I came in here. She wants to know what are the projections for the holiday season this year?

I honestly have no idea. I've been working too much.

Well, I think I just taught Mr. Smith. Thank you.

Any other comments or questions? Thank you, Dr. Lopez. Moving on, everyone has received a copy of the agenda. Do I have a motion to adopt the agenda?

I'll make the motion to adopt the agenda.

Do I have a second?

Second. Second.

I have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed? We will proceed with the agenda as is. We have two individuals that have signed up for public comments. First is Ms. Leanna McGuire. If you'll come down and state your name.

Hello. I'm Leanna McGuire. Hello, everyone. Hello. This is Julia Green. She's a friend and a neighbor. We both live in the Bluff Park area. We're both working moms, and our kids hang out in the Bluff Park streets all the time. We're both here to talk about two topics of concern. One is an unoccupied house on our street that's been unoccupied for over 20 years. It's 2344 Mountain Oaks Lane, and we believe it needs to be torn down. And then the second agenda item is a need for sidewalks on our cut-through neighborhood street that's zoned for a school who does not serve buses to our street and has a lot of walkers and a lot of kids. So starting with the abandoned house, it's been unoccupied for over 20 years, like I said, which is a really long time to have a house unoccupied on your street. I haven't been there for 20 years. We just moved in the last two and a half. So it was surprising to see that in the Bluff Park area, there's a house that looks like that as soon as you drive into the neighborhood. It's become structurally unsound. The gutters are falling off. The plant overgrowth has taken over the house, the power lines. Trees have fallen onto the neighbor's property. And if you can imagine what it's like to be that neighbor, it's not me. I'm very thankful, but I do feel for that neighbor. The insect and rodent life is pretty prevalent. We live in an area where there's a lot of woods behind. It's really overgrown. It's gotten kind of crazy. And then there's been multiple code violations that have been filed. The owner continues to pay the code violations. I've spoken to Dave Prosh, who's the code enforcement for Hoover, and he's informed me of all the goings on of the homeowner who just really doesn't want to sell the home. As you can understand, A family member passes away. It was his mother's house. He doesn't want to let go of this property. But for the neighborhood, it's become a major problem. But most of all, the thing I worry about is just safety. Our kids are all over this neighborhood and it's a great place to live. And I'm sure all of you were very rule-following child citizens. I was not. I would have been all over that house. I would have been very focused on finding a way into that house. I think lots of neighbor kids are also very, very curious about what's inside that house and who lived there, all the curiosities of children. But what happens if a child dies? does get into that house, and it's not sound, and something happens, it's a major liability, it's dangerous, and we're all just a little bit worried about what that will turn into. And fundamentally, no one wants to live in a neighborhood where the first thing you see is this place. They just don't. None of you would. We surely don't. It's an eyesore. We're just asking for your influence and your power and your help to prioritize it. I did speak to Dave Prosh, like I said, and he said, there's things that come up, there's priorities, there's other things that fall above this house. Like recently, they already used the budget for the year for a different house that was a problem for another neighborhood. But we just wanna push this one forward as much as we can as a neighborhood and as people who really care about where our kids are hanging out and playing. So onto my second point, we live on Mountain Oaks Lane where this house is located. It's at the top of a very winding hill, it's beautiful. We go to Shades Mountain Elementary and there is a community of kids that walk to school. Within 1.8 miles of our school, you cannot ride the bus. We live at 1.8 miles, so our street is not bus. You can walk if you want to, take your life in your hands on that street. So I think there's a sidewalk that goes about half a mile from Shades Mountain, and a lot of those kids are walkers. But there's also a ton of kids that do walk on that road, and they end up walking through the gutters. And then there's people who get really sick of kids walking through their grass, and they have signs that say, do not walk in the grass. So when we think about the future and kind of the way Bluff Park is growing and how beautiful it is and where we want our kids to play and walk to school, it would be fantastic if they had a really safe way to do that. Julia also lives on the corner of the top of the hill and kids will be walking up that road and get honked at because people aren't expecting children to be on that hill. and it surprises them, and that's a little scary. So we would love it if you would consider sidewalks for our neighborhood, as everyone would, but for safety concerns and just for keeping all the kids playing and walking down the street together on a sidewalk instead of in the gutters.

Thank you, Ms. McGuire. I understand that a recent case has been opened up concerning the abandoned house. Inspectors have been out recently to start looking, you know, checking into that. So give the city a little while. Mr. Martin will be the point of contact back there. He'll keep us up to date on how that progresses. As far as the sidewalks go, we are just getting the detailed capital budget, and we'll pour through and... We'll see where that lands.

Awesome. I did bring some letters. I don't know if Julia had a chance to hand them out. There's pictures in there of what the house looks like for you all. And I know some people like paper. So there you go.

Thank you.

All right. Thank you all.

Next up, we have Mr. Tom Konoski. Sir, if you'll state your name and you'll have four minutes, sir.

All right. Name is Tom Kalinowski, a resident of the Highland Lake subdivision off of Highway 280 in unincorporated Shelby County. As of a month ago, I didn't know I was a Hoover taxpayer, but I guess I'm a Hoover taxpayer due to the recent addition of Highland Lake subdivision to the Hoover Police jurisdiction. I'm not a lawyer, I don't play one on TV, and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I've read Alabama Act 2021-297, and it states all municipal police jurisdictions across the state were permanently frozen in place as of 2021. And I understand that the, excuse me, the Greystone annexations went on late last century. However, this tax was not collected back then. So the three-mile police jurisdiction was not enforced, and the GIS maps and the Alabama Department of Revenue maps apparently were not updated until recently. Part of that act code 11-5191 bars a municipality from collecting any revenue unless an active collection ordinance was operating in that specific area prior to 2021. So I feel that, you know, since the Hoover PJ tax has implemented sometime in the past year, that this was a, Just maybe it's an oversight. I understand everyone, municipalities looking for revenue. The reason I've found this is that state of Alabama provides, I pay 8% on Amazon purchase. I'm an unincorporated Shelby County. I'm only supposed to pay five. I can file a form with the state of Alabama and get my 3% back. I just gotta give them my Amazon invoice and they send me a check. I did that this year. My $150 went to like $70 because you guys took the 1.75% of my three, which is the bulk of my refund. So that's how I found out. I'm a cheapskate. I put off my Sam's Club trip on Sunday because I knew it was coming here today. So I'm going to Sam's Club after here. I'm trying to stretch a dollar. So I understand what the municipality is trying to do and extended net PJ and getting the additional revenue for that. So what I'm requesting is that the Hoover Revenue Department City Council review and amend its act of GIS and act Alabama Department of Revenue maps to exclude Highland Lakes, a private gated community that does not receive any Hoover police I was involved in, I was a witness to a T-bone accident right there on Highway 280 westbound and Highland Lakes Drive. Hoover Police didn't show. State Police and Shelby County Sheriffs. Shelby County Sheriff's Department, they patrol our neighborhood. Hoover Police does not. So there's no cost of Hoover. to Hoover for Highland Lakes, so we just asked that we not get taxed. I understand Mount Laurel, Eagle Point, a myriad of subdivisions in between Highway 119 and Valleydale Road that are unincorporated Shelby County are in the same boat, because I spot checked some addresses and they all have the same 1.75% tax. I'm not here representing them, I'm here representing Highland Lakes. So at a minimum, if I could get a contact person from someone's staff where I could maybe ask some questions, I'd like maybe a legal opinion. what part of the statute and how it was interpreted, and a few other questions.

Sure, Mr. Kalinowski. I understand that we have your contact information. Dr. Lopez is somewhat familiar with this, as is Mr. Munger. Someone with staff, since we have your contact information, they're going to look further into this and get back in contact.

I appreciate it, and thank you for letting me speak.

Thank you. Okay, Thursday night we, I'm sorry, I didn't ask. That was all I had that signed up for public comment. Is there anyone here that would like to speak on an item that's not on the agenda? Okay, moving on. Thursday night we met and went over. every item in detail. So we have the consent agenda which we vote all in one block that we do not discuss unless there is an item that a member of council or the member of the public would like to pull off the consent agenda. Councilor, are there any items from the consent agenda you would like to remove?

Mr. President, I'd like to remove 89-54-26 and 89-55-26. I wasn't here Thursday. I've just got a couple of light questions. Okay.

Mr. City Attorney, if you'll note that, numbers four and five, if you'll remove to the regular agenda. Anyone from the public wishes to remove an item from the consent agenda? All right, moving on. Mr. City Attorney, if you'll read the consent agenda minus four and five.

Item three is number 89-53-26. That's a resolution approving a consumable hemp products license for your CBD store in Hoover, located at 2341 John Hawkins. Item six is 89-56-26. That's the resolution authorizing the renewal of the subscription to Placer AI. It's a three-year agreement. Item seven is resolution 89-58-26. It's a resolution authorizing the renewal of the Health Services Agreement for the Municipal Jail. Item eight is resolution 89-59-26, is a resolution authorizing the Acting Director of Human Resources to enter into an agreement with Blue Cross. Item number nine is resolution 89-60-26, and that is a resolution authorizing the Acting Director to enter into an agreement with simply verified for pre-employment screening and background checks. Item 10 is resolution 89-6126. It will approve a budget amendment for the current fiscal year for various departments related to organizational personnel and operational grant related changes. Item 11 is resolution 89-6226 that will award a bid for resurfacing to Dunn Construction Company Item 12 is resolution 89-63-26. It's awarding a bid for the Hoover Fire Station for roof replacement. Item 13 is 89-64-26. That's a resolution awarding a bid for an elevator for the recreation center. Item 14 is a resolution 89-65-26. It's approving the renewal of an agreement for street sweeping. Item 15 is Resolution 896626. That's a resolution approving the second and final renewal of an agreement concerning landscape maintenance services. Item 16 is Resolution 896726. That resolution approves the second and final renewal of an agreement for landscape maintenance. Item 17, resolution 89-68-26, that's a resolution that will approve a final renewal for another landscape maintenance service. Item 18 is number 89-69-26, that will be a renewal of an agreement for portable restroom facilities. Item 19, is Resolution 897026, and it authorizes the resolution to request the assistance of the Alabama Department of Examiners of public accounts regarding an audit that's been performed. Those are the consent items that we have.

We'll also include review of payment of bills and minutes for August 20th, 2026 and August 24th, 2026. Do I have a motion?

Mr. President, I make a motion that we approve the consent agenda as read and also the review of payment of bills and the minutes for August 20th and August 24th, 2026.

Second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed?

Nay.

The ayes have it. Moving on to resolution number 895426.

That is a resolution that authorizes the termination of the agreement with Civic Plus for muni code meetings and hub services and directing a letter of termination be sent effective at the end of the current annual agreement.

Mr. Smith, you had a comment on this?

Yes, which staff member would speak to this?

That's Ms. Dickerson.

Ms. Dickerson speaks to this? Yes, that's correct. What caused the need to go to a different provider?

That was, it was beginning to cost, and I found a different way to do this to make it nicer, easier to read, easier for people to get to the different pages. So it was basically that. Now the difference is the MUNA code that's out there with the code of ordinances, that does not affect this. So that's not the portion of MUNA code. This was just for the agendas.

Okay, did we save any money?

We will.

Very good. And I guess maybe the president will want to vote these together. 89-55-26. Mr. Smith, let's take them separately. Okay. Very good.

Mr. President, I make a motion to approve resolution number 89-54-26. Second.

I have a motion and a second. Any further comments from council? Any from the audience? Yes. All in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed, the ayes have it. Moving on to resolution number 895526.

This is a resolution approving an agreement with Randy Jones and Associates to serve as the city's insurance consultant and broker of record.

I'll take a motion. Make a motion to approve resolution number 895526. Second. Second.

I have a motion and a second. This is Ms. Carrier will be the point of contact for this. Mr. Smith.

Hello. I was just wondering what caused the need to change providers.

Well, I was happy with the service. I wasn't looking to change, but I do know that the administration wanted to make a change, and there was a resolution voted for by this body in July. to have the mayor negotiate a new rate with Randy Jones and Associates. So what is before you is the new contract with Randy Jones and Associates. And I do have Jonathan Pfeiffer here, if you have any questions.

Was he the previous provider as well? Or is he a new provider?

No, this is a new agency. We were with USI Insurance Services before, and this is a brand new agency, Randy Jones and Associates.

and the budget saving any money on this?

It remains flat. The fee remains the same, yes, sir. And it's an annual contract with two additional years at the same price if the administration wants to pursue that.

Okay, very good. Thank you. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. Smith. Any further comments or questions? Any from the audience? All in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. Moving on to the regular agenda for resolution number 895726.

This is a resolution authorizing the renewal of the city's HVAC and refrigeration service contract with Johnson Controls and the non-renewal of the ESCO performance contract with Alabama Power.

Mr. President, I make a motion that we approve resolution number 8957-26. Second. I have a motion and a second.

Please note that Ms. Driver will be abstaining from this due to her employment. Any comments or questions from counsel? Any from the audience? All in favor, say aye. Aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. Moving on to public hearings for all of the following, 21 through... Mr. City Attorney, if you'll read those all, we'll take it all as one motion.

All at one time?

The following have been cut to satisfaction, so it would be with a withdrawal. It's resolution number 8926, resolution number 897326, resolution number 897426, resolution number 8975-26. So we have 22, 25, 26, and 27. If we can have a motion for withdrawal of those items.

Mr. President, I make a motion that we withdraw resolutions number 89-26-26, 89-73-26, 89-74-26, and 89-75-26. Second. I have a motion and a second for this draw.

All in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. All right. Moving on for consideration.

One moment. Those numbers, number 22, 25, 26... Now, you said 23? 21, 23, 24, 28, 29.

It was 22 off or on?

22 was on. Oh, 20. Yeah. OK, so that's 25, 26, and 27, 25.

Did we vote wrong on that? No, you had 21. I thought it said we put 23 in there. Thank you.

Okay, consideration in one motion, if you'll read resolutions 21, 23, 24, 28, and 29.

Resolution number 89, 25, 26 is a resolution for the abatement of a nuisance due to weeds or grass for property located at 2337 Tyler Road. Mm-hmm. Okay, 22. Resolution 892626 is a resolution for the abatement of a nuisance due to weeds. We removed that one, Mr. Walker. That's what I thought. Sorry. Item 23, Resolution 897126 is a resolution declaring a weed and other vegetation nuisance at property located at 1915 Buttercup Drive. Resolution 8972-26 is a resolution that declares a weed ordinance violation at property located at 2258 Farley Road. Resolution 8976-26 is a resolution declaring a weed ordinance violation at property located at 3475 Tamasee Lane. And resolution 894926 is a resolution for a weed ordinance violation for property located at 2152 Larchmont Circle.

Mr. President, I make a motion that we approve resolutions number 892526, 897126, 897226, 897626, and 894926. Second. I have a motion and a second.

This is a public hearing, so Mr. Martin, we'll start with you.

Yes, sir. We had some activity over the weekend that fortunately took care of several of the properties that you've removed from the agenda. However, we do still have two cases in need of abatement and three cases in need of declaration of public nuisance for high weeds. The two abatement cases, 2337 Tyler Road and 2152 Larchmont are still in violation and in need of abatement. As far as the nuisance declaration cases, 1915 Buttercup, 3475 Tamasee Lane and 2258 Farley Road, those are still in violation. I will say that the Tamasee Lane, we've had some progress. The front yard was cut, but the rear yard remains overgrown. So hopefully we can take care of that one before we get to the point of asking for an abatement. there was some progress made, but it's still in violation.

Any comments, questions from the council? Any comments or questions from the public? At this time, we will close the public hearing. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. Next, we will have first readings. No action will be taken on these items. Ordinance number 262711, Mr. Waldron.

This is an ordinance to rescind an existing ordinance number 02-1902 concerning automatic burglar alarm systems.

Ordinance number 262712.

This is an ordinance to amend Article 2 concerning the administration and review procedures section 2.04 regarding conditional uses of the zoning ordinance and to repeal all ordinances that are in conflict therewith.

And finally, ordinance number 262713.

This ordinance will regulate the sale, possession, storage, and use of fireworks, novelties, and sparkling devices within the city and provides for inspection and regulation for those matters.

Very good. That brings us to the end of the business portion. Any comments or questions from the council? Hearing none, we're adjourned.